Few Lambton residents grapple with inconsistent water supply for a year

The endless water crisis affecting only a few households left some residents from Lambton frustrated.

For over a year, residents of De Beer, Lenox, Jacoba, and Hein streets have endured inconsistent water supply, leaving them grappling with the necessities of life.

Resident Melanie Hugo said the constant water outage in these streets has been more than just an inconvenience for them.

“It has been a disruption to our daily life. We have woken up to dry taps, often without warning, and gone to bed unsure of what the next morning will bring.

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“Every day is a gamble. We cannot plan our days because we never know when we will have water. It is exhausting and stressful. Sometimes we want a warm bath when we come home after work,” said Hugo.

She said they cannot even perform the most basic tasks.

“Cooking, cleaning, and, most critically, sanitation are challenges.

“The constant uncertainty has forced us to always expect the worse; waiting for the next outage, which sometimes we cannot prepare for because we don’t have enough containers to store the water,” said Hugo.

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She said she also has health concerns.

“Without reliable access to clean water, as residents, we fear for our well-being. We cannot just use water when we need it. We need to use it sparingly and sometimes in a family household it is not possible,” said Hugo.

She said some residents have been able to buy Jojo tanks to save up water, but not all can afford it.

She said she had lost hope in the City or Ekurhuleni (CoE).

“We have asked for answers from the councillor and the CoE. We sent numerous emails, but no one has given us answers or reason for these constant outages, we are never informed about,” said Hugo.

She said at this point she is considering moving.

“We cannot pay for our services on time and not receive what is due to us.

“We cannot continue; the CoE needs to stop making excuses and sort out this matter because it is making our lives difficult,” Said Hugo.

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Residents are also worried about the Rand Water infrastructure maintenance that is scheduled to take place. They said with these water outages, they would not have time to save up water.

Germiston City News contacted Clr Irvan Naidoo to ask him about the water outage challenge and why it has been happening for over a year.

He was not available for comment. Also, we sent an email to the CoE but received no comment at the time of going to print.